Waiting for Love
by FantasyEmpress
Summary: Norribeth,totally seperate from the movies, realistic:no curses, magic, etc... basically, except for the characters, it might as well not be POTC...probably noone will like it, but i hope someone does. r&r!
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NADA. This story takes the characters from the movies, but nothing else. No magic, curses, or anything like that. It's really weird because it's realistic.**

James Norrington watched his wife smile politely at Will and Eleanor Turner. He knew Elizabeth had been somewhat in love with Turner, that they had made a secret pledge to get married, even if it meant eloping. Then Turner had betrayed her, marrying Eleanor Brinton, the daughter of a local butcher. Poor Elizabeth had moped around for months.

James had been away at the time of Turner's betrayal, chasing the notorious pirate Jack Sparrow all around the Caribbean. Then he had run into the ship which had once been Sparrow's and found it captained by another infamous buccaneer, Hector Barbossa. Barbossa had escaped, but Sparrow could hardly get away, since all he had for a "ship" was a small dinghy. James had brought the eccentric pirate back to Port Royal, stuck him in the jail, and then gone to visit Elizabeth. He found her skinny and heartbroken.

He knew she did not care for him as anything but a friend, but arranged with her father to marry her. She was too depressed to refuse. The wedding was lovely, except that the couple was so somber. Two months had passed since. Two months which James would have enjoyed thoroughly if it were not for his wife's unhappiness. He loved her. He loved waking up knowing she was in her room, waking up as well. He loved the nights when she hesitantly came to him, giving him her body willingly, if not eagerly. He loved the mealtimes sitting across from her, talking about neighbors and village happenings. He loved coming home from patrols around the island and having her waiting on the dock. Most of all, he loved the fact that more and more she was happy to see him, and less and less of her time was spent moping around or crying quietly in her room.

He longed for the day when she would love him as much as he loved her. Hearing her say "I love you." was his deepest desire. He firmly believed that one day, he would hear those words; and for now he was content to wait, even if he had to wait for years.


	2. Chapter 2

**Guess what! I think I'm actually going to give Norri. a happy ending… eventually…**

Elizabeth Norrington watched her husband politely shake Will Turner's hand and bow gracefully to Eleanor. She knew he understood how hard it was for her to be around them, and he tried to make it as easy as possible. James hated Will for hurting her, she knew that, and she was grateful for his politeness. She didn't want any more scandal.

James Norrington had become Elizabeth's best friend during the scandal. Everyone had known she was infatuated by Will Turner. For the governor's daughter to be rejected by a blacksmith's apprentice was enough to cause a lot of gossip by itself, but the fact that Eleanor Brinton was, according to all evidence, pregnant at the time of her wedding, added to the shock in the community. If Turner had gotten one girl pregnant out of wedlock, it stood to reason that Miss Swann had probably lost her virginity to him as well, just had not conceived. James Norrington was the only one who completely believed Elizabeth's claim of maidenhood. He also offered to marry her, which would clear her at least most of the way, as no respectable man would marry someone who was ruined. Nobody questioned that James Norrington was a respectable man.

Though James said he had wanted to marry her anyway, and that he loved her, Elizabeth believed he had married her to save her from the shameful gossip. She tried to hide her affection for him, believing he did not return it. She loved him, as a friend, and she knew she could come to love him as a man, but she tried not to.

She tried not to enjoy waking up knowing he was in the next room, waking up as well. She tried not to enjoy the nights when she crawled into his bed, tried not to enjoy what he no doubt saw as a duty. She tried not to enjoy the mealtimes sitting across from him, discussing village happenings and what the neighbors were doing. She tried not to let her face shine with joy as she stood on the dock watching his ship come in after patrols. Most of all, she tried not to enjoy the way her heart swelled when he said "I love you.", even though his face was somber and she knew he felt it his duty, or considered her a sister or friend.

She longed for the day when they would be able to really love each other. To hear him say "I love you." and mean it was her deepest desire. She firmly believed that one day, he would mean it, and on that day, she would return those words in joy, but until that day, she was content to wait, even if it were for years.


	3. Chapter 3

**OKAY…here we go…1 happy ending for James Norrington, coming right up…Review…but be nice, I'm not really good at righting anything besides Sparrabeth yet. **

James Norrington watched his wife of two years dance around the flower garden. She was happy, and that made him happy. She seemed so young. He hadn't seen her dance about like that since she was a teenager. He knew she thought he would find such youthful actions improper, so she only danced because she wasn't expecting him back for two more days. He took off his wig and coat, handing them to his manservant, Sebastian. Then he quietly slipped into the garden. She was singing softly, her eyes closed as she danced, holding onto an invisible partner. Grinning, he tapped her shoulder, and watched her eyes fly open in shock. He bowed and spoke in an outrageous exaggeration of a refined voice. "May I have this dance, milady?" She laughed in delight, then curtsied and held out her hand. "You certainly may, good sir." He grabbed her and swung her around, then danced her around the garden. He had been gone three weeks, and missing her made him feel ridiculously giddy at seeing her again. He could just imagine Sebastian peering out the window and fainting at the sight of his master acting more childish than he had when he actually _was _a child.

He finally stopped, looking into Elizabeth's eyes longingly. She had yet to tell him she loved him. He had stopped telling her he loved her, because it hurt too much to tell her and not have her respond. But now, for the first time in over a year, he told her, softly. "I love you, you know. With all my heart." He was shocked to see tears fill her eyes. "You do, don't you? You really mean it when you say you love me." He watched her as she leaned up towards him. Just as her lips touched his, he heard her whisper the words her had waited years to hear.

"I love you too."


End file.
